Assailants of the Evening Red
The Assailants of the Evening Red are the personal assassins of the Capital Officer. They are not in the records of the Carceral State due to the secretive nature of their operations, their impressive yet frightening skill set comparable to the Imperates, and the importance of their mission. Only the True Ones have so much as heard of their existence, while Capital Officer Abendroth is the sole person on the planet that is even partially aware of their capabilities. Before the war, the Assailants of the Evening Red primarily protected the Head of State, moved around the Capital to ensure that order was kept, and that any militant rebellions were suppressed. They have a 100% effeciency rate, and are generally called into service against the most dangerous of targets. Their roles have since been expanded to properly accomodate "The Cleansing." Currently, the number of assassins under Rene Abendroth is unknown. Origins Their creation was based off of three things: her Imperate guards, Carcerese intelligence, and the private defenders led by Marley Burke. The group evolved overtime from about 2220, when René first became Officer, gained loyalists, and finally succeeded in bringing back Burke. Back then it was less strict and not referred to by its current name. It assumed its current form around 2305, when it was formally pitched to the True Ones (for the sake of transparency). This group, René argued, would serve as a hybrid between the Deus Manus, Imperates and Carcerse Intelligence. They would have the utmost loyalty, but not to a fault, and be at the peak of human performance without the costs and risks without augmentations. They'd have the strength of the Deus Manus, but much less fanaticism, and the spy skills to infiltrate the world and scout ahead for The Cleansing-- if they wanted to. Their primary purpose, however, would be protecting/serving the Capital Officer and consequently the Capital. They were to answer primarily to her. Only in dire situations would they need to report to Maddox, Karl or Tyrannus. Her interest wasn't so much in spreading fear but efficiency, which could only be done by keeping word of their existence off the record and to a minimum. The first and only leader of the Assailants would be Marley Burke, who had authority to nearly every area René could access. Membership "War has no rules. It's brutal, it's direct, whether your opponent sees it or not." -Capital Officer Abendroth Their numbers are unknown as the origins of the group to the public. Although it's believed that assassins for Officers have existed for many years, this group is the most prominent. Their name comes from the fact that the last name of the current Capital Officer's name, Abendroth, literally translates into "Evening Red." Another reason is that when they strike, the evening is stained by blood. Lastly, it is a sign of respect and loyalty to their leader and their achievements. The younger members of the Assailants have been trained since early childhood to serve the Capital Officer, whether it was for the sake of preserving order or gaining a sense of true strength. Others have had training so extensive in the special operations department, that it seemed to have 'melted away their soul' to a point where it was tolerable to accept them. Most of them would easily have been considered for the honor of being promoted to Imperate, and eventually would gain the strength to not just match them, but surpass them in some regards. A select few were even the offspring of Alpha and Omega operatives or former RLA infiltration units. It is for these reasons that their identities are top secret and highly confidential. Marley Burke, the leader of the Assailants, was selected for her experience in the Army in a previous life, her proven record in defending high profile individuals, impressive physical profile, and pragmatic attitude. She picked up on things quickly. It's believed-- though not confirmed-- that Burke has learned the combat styles of Imperates, the Red Fraction, Carcerese Intelligence, Spetsnaz, Army Rangers, CIA, and larger military strategy. Theoretically, she could temporarily fill the role of Capital Officer if something somehow happens to Abendroth. Philosophy We operate in the dark to serve the light; serve the heart to save the soul; give our humanity to bring order; destroy the plague to liberate the Earth. In breaking the chains, there are no limits. We are the hands that judge you. No force will shake us. ''We are the Assailants of the Evening Red. ''-Code of the Assailants The general philosophy of the Assailants stated that the outside world was plagued, and that the inner workings of the Carceral State suffered because of it. Working within this darkness was the best means of dissolving it, so long as they remaiend without corruption. In serving the Capital Officer, the representative and planner of the CS, they are benefitting the nation and world as a whole- increasing the general quality of all, by killing those that threatened peace. The forces on the outside, including America (with its Imperial and abusive history) were seen as inhumane by their standards, something that needed to be eliminated for a better world. Their killer life style was necessary and justified in their eyes. The strength of the Assailants was one meant to be praised for, as the only language a disease understands is force. Exceeding the limits of the human standard and going beyond the orthadox are pivotal in achieving the goal of a great world, even if it means sacrificing one's self to a greater purpose such as this. It is in removing their own limits that the first step is taken. The result is a greater power that gives them the authority to judge those below them. It is partially for this reason that an emblem associated with Abendroth's assassins is a cross, which symbolic of suffering, redemption, and passing judgment in many faiths. The symbol reinforces the idea of a hell-bringer. Black is the official color, hence many agents wearing it. After all, they work in the dark to serve the light, and have a secretive nature- one that many fear, as what is within the shadows is what people fear. Technology and Attire It varies from each member, but generally speaking all of them have access to some of the greatest pieces of technology the Carceral State has to offer. The items they use are generally considered "Dritte Grade," which is the highest level one can reach. It is this technology that also gives them even more of an edge than they already have, as it brings them up to the level of an Imperate. Scaled Nano-Armor The Assailants of the Evening Red were trained to be able to blend into a crowd, and thus wore specialized armor for such a case. Utilizing special layered scale protection and nano-technology, the assailants could go around in what looked to be civilian attire (the choice belonging to the user of how they look). This nano-technology posed two special benefits: adjustment of muscle strength at the microscopic level and the automatic hardening upon 'sensing' an oncoming projectile or attack (much like the Zweite armor, but it's crafted to not look excessively military). This permanent strength adjustment makes the already incredibly powerful assailants move beyond what has been called "the pinnacle line," a.k.a the maximum strength a human can reach without entirely changing their physiology. Regardless of whether or not there is a helmet, the user can control the functions of the suit as if it was an extension of the person due to the integrated nano-technology. It is truly taking "the sword as an extension of one's self" to a whole new level. Upgraded Nano-Armor The armor is capable of accepting upgrades, as it might when having to deploy one to a heavily guarded zone. However, some assailants prefer to keep their unique style, and also cite that compromising their agility is cutting their effeciency. Those that accept the an upgrade add about 30 pounds to their overall weight and gain the advantage of being able to survive a 20 millimeter direct hit like any Imperate would be able to. Part of this upgrade is frequently a helmet, as most assassins have generally had no need for one in the past. With this helmet comes a sophisticated heads up display, glare protection, and more. The nano-technology can also be upgraded to grant the invisibility feature of the Zweite, but this is expensive and something that the Abendroth's assassins have learned to work without. Hoverboots On the soles of the shoes of the Assailant armor there is an option to add a feature that allows the user to gently float to the ground rather than fall to their death should they be knocked off something such as a skyscrapper. It is powered by the bodily electricity of the user and special chip inside the boot. When activated, a blue aura is emitted from the titanium-compound on the base of the foot, the strength of it determined by how much energy the user wishes to invest. When inactive, a kick to any portion of the human body could prove bone-shattering and lethal- almost as if someone were hit by a body builder with a hammer. Deployable Knuckles Many assailants have gloves that harden in response to the tightening of a fist, allowing for an incredibly solid strike against a target. Although the rest of the armor can technically harden when attempting a strike, the fists are the most prominent parts to change. Projectile Belt The belt, aside from potentially serving as a utility belt, can have ammunition of a sorts stored and fire. What would look like an adjustment of the buckle would result in the firing of what's loaded with each click. This could be anything from a 9 millimeter bullet to a dart loaded with Zweite grade poison. It's appropriate to the decieving nature of an assassin. Tech-Scrambler A small device that can be hidden anywhere on the armor, the emitted signal screws with most modern technical systems within 50 meters. Generally it remains at a low enough level to simply keep a user from showing up on the radars and scans, although at a high enough level can screw up entire systems to keep them from functioning properly. Directly placing a tech-scrambler on a terminal can send a shock through the entire mainframe. External Weaponry From assailant to assailant, the means by which they kill varies. The general preference is close to mid-range weaponry, although it is shown that there is an aptitude for long-range engagements if it is necessary. Below are two of the more common weapons. Note that these are simply common weapons, and not all of the possible ones are listed. Weapons typically considered unorthadox to most are common amongst this group. Magnetic Coil Handgun The magnetic coil handgun operates in the same manner that the Zweite Supersonic Sniper System does. It is 100% silent, able to be loaded with multiple types of solid ammunition, and can easily be hidden in an overcoat. Unlike the SSS however, there is a limit as to what can be fired due to the small size of the particular model that an Assailant carries. Multipurpose Handcannon There are approximately 20 different fire settings for this technological marvel, depending on what is loaded into one. The handcannon weighs in at about a kilogram when loaded, but easily makes up for it. It utilizes computer tracking, an adjustable laser sight, and adjustable safety. A blue light on the side indicates that the weapon is functioning. Should the weapon be hit by an EMP, the tracking features will go offline, but the fire settings can be adjusted manually. Generally, it is referred to as a handcannon due to being able to accept large, explosive, and incendiary rounds that can inflict great devastation upon a target far better than the silent counter-part with which it is frequently paired. It can even function as a shotgun. The recoil is notable when firing one handed, especially for a normal person, but can be handled effectively by those who have "broken the chains." Customizable Blade The Assailants of the Evening Red generally make use of a small generator inside the hilt of such a weapon to give it a special ability, such as superheating the blade, sending slight electrical impulses through it, or making the blade vibrate to sonic speeds that can make it cut through the most resilient of doors. There are also throwing knives with a special feature that will return it to the user. Often these fine pieces of steel are coated in light poison and aren't clean, allowing for infection in the rarely non-fatal blows to cause complications in their victims. It is also that without the natural shine of steel that they do not stand out. Abilities While not technically Imperates, the Assailants of the Evening Red share many things in common with the respective Imperate types. Arguably, they can be paralleled to the Imperate Elites in how they were trained. Even without their special armor, they are at the pinnacle of human performance. They are great at predicting attacks, coordinating themselves as appropriate, and reacting to them incredibly quickly and effeciently. For example, it has been demonstrated that based upon the weapon and where it is aimed, an assailant can determine the path of shots and react accordingly- aim dodging, in other words, much like a Zweite can. In an all out run, due to not being very weighed down, they can catch cars as they are working up to getting to speed, or jump The Assailants are also at the peek of human strength, capable of lifting 800 pounds without the assistance of their specialized armor (regardless of gender). A punch to the face would be lethal, while a punch to the torso could easily overload the pain threshold and collapse organs if the target is unarmored. In terms of senses, it has been assured that every single one is perfect and certain ones augmented. In general, the assailant's vision has adjusted to low-light and high light environments as well as clarity at any range without the assistance of a scope (an ability that the Capital Officer praises and makes great use of). The assailants pick up on certain key sounds better than others as well (although their hearing is perfect), and have a sense of smell so keen that they can almost identify a target by their unique scent. Although their bone structure has barely been changed (in comparison to the Imperates), and their skin is not much stronger, the pain threshold of an assailant is considered incredibly high. Their bodies are also better at absorbing force than the standard human. Knowledge of the human body and psychology is arguably their greatest strength, however. They also have a great deal of knowledge about technology, due to their exposure to it. It is a part of their training to know how to kill someone with the simplest seeming of strikes and to work accordingly to the situation. Most prefer close range encounters due to their incredible knowledge of most worldly martial arts and the incredible power by which to execute them without flaw. Ultimately though, it is the fact that they are still human that is their weakness. No emotions have been artificially removed for cost reasons as well as a supposed lack of need, due to the way in which they had grown up. Although good at suppressing them, they often forget that they are human and can be killed. Category:Carceral Factions Category:Carceral State